JOB INTERVIEWS

1. JOB INTERVIEWS
Exercise 1.
Below you will see some common expressions that you might find useful. Put each expression
into the correct place according to the function of that expression:
1. May I think about that for a moment?
2. In short, ...
3. What I’m trying to say is...
4. To sum up, ...
5. What are your views on...?
6. Would you mind repeating that?
7. How can I put this?
8. In other words...
9. Sorry to say but...
10. Well, as a matter of fact...
11. I’m not so sure about that
12. Pardon?
13. I can’t help thinking the same
14. What are your feelings about...?
15. So in conclusion, ...
16. I see things rather differently myself
17. True enough
18. That’s right
19. I don’t entirely agree with you
20. Perhaps I should make that clearer by saying...
21. How can I best say this?
22. Could you repeat what you said?
23. I couldn’t agree more
24. Actually...
25. To put it another way...
26. That’s just what I was thinking
27. In brief, ...
28. Could I just say that ...
29. Well, my own opinion is that...
30. That’s my view exactly
31. To summarise, ...
32. What was that?
33. I must take issue with you on that
34. Let me get this right
35. Sorry to interrupt, but...
36. I’m afraid I didn’t catch that
37. What’s your opinion?
Agreeing with somebody…………………….
Disagreeing with somebody…………………………
Example: Yes, I agree…………………
Example: I’m afraid I disagree……………………
Interrupting…………………………………….
Asking for clarification or repetition…………………………..

2. Example: Excuse me for interrupting.
Example: I’m sorry?.................................
Asking somebody for their opinion……………………….
Saying something in another way……………………
Example: What do you think about..?.............................
Example: What I mean is……………………………
Giving yourself time to think……………………
Summing up…………………………………
Example: (in response to a question)……………………….
Let me see……………………………..
Example: So basically.........................................
Exercise 2. Work in groups. Think of the last interview you attended and discuss these
questions:
What was the worst thing about it?
What difficult questions were you asked?
Why do you think you were successful, or unsuccessful?
If you could go through the interview again, what would you do differently?
In an interview, do you always have to be completely honest?
What impression do you try to give in an interview?
Exercise 3. You’ll hear extracts from two interviews. Use this assessment form to
decide which candidate performed better on a scale of 1 to 5:
Sue Jones Tom Richards
qualifications
confidence
reliability
personality
work experience
overall impression
Exercise 4. Imagine that a young friend of yours is about to attend his or her first
interview. Note down some more advice that you would give:
e.g. Do your homework: find out about the company
Prepare some questions to ask about the company and what the job entails
Wear smart, formal clothes, etc
Exercise 6. Here are some tips relating to your appearance and body language. For each
one select the correct missing word from the options below:
1. Make sure your clothes are clean, but ________ wear obvious logos or designer names.
a. do b. don’t c. must
2. Don’t use __________ much deodorant or perfume!
a. to b. too c. two
3. Don’t wear too much jewellery. Interviewers don’t ______ like rings!
a. never b. sometimes c. usually
4. Wear _______ that are smart, but comfortable.
a. cloths b. clothes c. covers
5. Arrive well __________ the interview time.
a. before b. after c. later than
6. Make eye ________ with the interviewer when you are introduced.

3. a. contactation b. contiction c. contact
7. Give a firm handshake, and make sure you ___________!
a. snarl b. smile c. snigger
8. Don’t ________. This will distract the interviewer from what you’re saying.
a. fidget b. figgit c. fijit
9. Don’t appear over-confident, for example by leaning too far back in your chair, but do
try to __________.
a. relax b. relapse c. collapse
Exercise 7. Match the common interview question on the left with the suitable response
from the list on the right:
1. Why did you choose this company?
2. What are your strengths/weaknesses?
3. How would your friends describe you?
4. What is your greatest achievement?
5. How well do you work in a team?
6. Where will you be in 5 years?
A. People say I’m sociable, organized, and decisive.
B. My aim is to have a position in the Management Team.
C. I have excellent time management, but I can be impatient for results.
D. Because I think I will find the work environment both challenging and rewarding.
E. I always support my colleagues and believe we should work towards a common goal.
F. Leading the University football team to the national Championships.
Exercise 8. The words in the column on the right are phrases that use the word career.
For each definition on the left, match it to the correct phrase on the right:
1. Chances of future success in your career
2. The direction you hope your career will take
3. A change you make in order to progress
4. Time when you are not employed, perhaps when travelling or looking after children
5. A series of promotions towards more senior positions
A. career move
B. career break
C. career prospects
D. career ladder
E. career plan
job interview/ Looking for work
1. This is an ____________ position, but it does require some experience.
entry-level entry-area
2. P1: What was your ____________ at your last job? P2: It was $50,000 per year.
wage salary
3. To "land a job" means to ____________.
get a job quit a job
4. He was "let go". = He was ____________.
allowed to work fired
5. If an employer wants to talk about your "background", they're interested in your ___________.

4. work-related history ethnicity
6. My brother works for a law ____________ downtown.
company firm
7. British people call it a CV, while in the United States, it's often called a ____________.
CEO resume
8. What were some of your ____________ at your last position?
responsible responsibilities
9. I was in ____________ of the entire marketing department.
charge responsible
10. When applying for a job, you should include a resume and a ____________.
introduction letter cover letter
job interview/ Looking for work 2
1. After you had your interview, it's a good idea to ____________ ( = to get in touch by saying
thank you, asking about their decision, etc.) with the employer.
follow up follow through
2. A good way to follow up is by sending a ____________ note.
thanks thank you
3. The interviewers were impressed with Jim's positive ____________.
attitude aptitude
4. P1: How's the dress code at your company? Is it formal? P2: No, it's ____________.
caustic casual
5. When the interviewer concludes the interview, offer a firm handshake and make eye
____________. contact connection
6. I looked at your resume and noticed that you have some ____________ in your employment
history. missing time gaps
7. P1: I got a ____________ from Google. P2: Really? Did you accept it?
job proposal job offer
8. What's another word for a "job search"?
job mission job hunt
9. Don't forget to look through the ____________ in your newspaper.
job listings job articles
10. P1: What are some of the ____________ your company provides? P2: Let's see... A free dental
plan, three weeks paid vacation, etc.
benefit benefits
Job Interview Terms/ Phrases 3
1. Talking about your experience and _____________ is the most important part of any job
interview. qualifications qualifiers qualms
2. When you talk about your education, remember to use the past tense(s), for example: "I
_____________ the University of Warsaw from 1992 to 1996."
attend attended went
3. If you are currently studying, you can say something like: "I am _____________ studying at the
University of Southern California."
presently present current

5. 4. P1: Do you have any special _____________ in your field? P2: Yes, I took a one-year course on
Advanced Web Design in 1998.
trade trains training
5. Did you _____________ the fact that you speak five languages?
speak say mention
6. Most jobs require relevant experience. That's why it is important to explain what experience you
have in _____________.
detail details exact
7. My supervisor was always very pleased with my _____________.
performers performance pro-forma
8. The development of a new database structure was one of my greatest _____________ in my
last position.
refreshments accomplishments accomplices
9. I have a lot of experience _____________ with customers.
toying satisfying working/dealing
10. I feel very _____________ doing this type of work.
comfort comfortable scared